So, I work for one of the biggest banks in the UK, a “disability confident employer”, an “inclusive employer”, and I am having one hell of a nightmare.
It all started 3 years ago. In the middle of Covid we had transitioned to WFH, and I was doing a stellar job if I do say so myself. Issue is, during the lockdown I split with my boyfriend and was stuck alone in a small flat day in day out and my mental health collapsed as a result. I almost took my life during this time. I had to move back in with family some several hours away as I couldn't afford life alone, and also, really needed support.
Here comes the fun part: office told everyone we had to return to office 2 years ago. I told them, can't do that, as I'm now 2.5 hours from an office. I had also informed them I was moving due to my mental health when it was happening, they didn't like it but there wasn't much that could be done and due to still being fully set up to WFH and doing really well while WFH nothing much could be said other than thinly veiled threats.
During the past two years, I have been gaslit ('there's nothing stopping you getting the train your anxiety isn't that bad'), I have been pressured with being fired, I have obtained nothing in writing regarding WFH arrangements, I have had Occy Health used as a weapon with the banks questions centring around underperformance (performance is fantastic) and being asked extremely personal questions designed to upset me.
I am regularly ignored by upper management when I ask for this to stop as I want to keep my job.
I am regularly left in tears and panic attacks from meetings in which my manager likes to play “good cop bad cop”, they make out the business is pushing them into pressuring/hurting me and coming out with awful comments then try to cover it by acting like they're the 'good guy'.
I can't quit my job as I support other family members as well as myself due to cost of living crisis.
I actually like the job I do and I have some of the best figures going and feedback to match.
I have had doc notes, Occ Health, Union, tell them – Let her WFH permanently. Nobody will allow it.
Now I'm off to tribunal over mental health discrim, failure to follow flexible working procedures, personal injury (one point I almost hurt myself because of the pressure they were exerting)…
These jokers actually expect me to do a 5 hour round trip twice a week.